The uranium production contraction programme in the Northbohemian Cretaceous area, Czech Republic

The Straz block deposits were considered the most prospective sources to cover the long term needs of the Czechoslovak nuclear programme, which was planned on a large scale. The development of the CSUP production activities was very fast in the are of the Straz block and unfortunately without future considerations. Two uranium deep mines (DH-1, DK-1) were in production and one uranium deep mine (DH-2) was in the stage preparation at the end of the 1980. The gradual contraction programme of uranium procution in the northbohemian area is connected with the whole Uranium Industry contraction programme and it is caused by: decreasing of the uranium market in the USSR since the end of the 1980s; loss of the Slovak market after the splitting of Czechoslovakia; low uranium demand in the Czech Republic after the previous reduction of the nuclear programme; decreasing of the uranium market apply possibilities abroad (oversupply, great production costs); and re-evaluation of the ecological criterions for the limiting environment load, which is influenced by the uranium production. The contraction programme properly began with the liquidation of the Hamr-2 Mine (DH-2) in the Straz block at the end of the 1980s. A decision about the future of ISL will be made after an evaluation of research and verifying work, which will end in 1994. The last production complex influenced by the contraction programme is the Hamr-1 Mine (DH-1), which has been mothballed since mid-1993. The mine production has stopped and only backfilling is performed. A decision about the next future will be made by the government in 1995, after a complete re-evaluation of the whole contraction programme in the Czech Republic. (author). 1 fig., 1 tab